The City of Los Angeles has begun Phase I of the Bureau of Sanitation’s Solid Waste Integrated Resources Plan (SWIRP), which will put L.A. on track to become a ‘zero-waste’ city by 2030. The main goals of the SWIRP are to eliminate the use of urban landfills, develop alternative technologies for long-term waste disposal, increase recycling and resource recovery and convert the entire Sanitation fleet to liquid natural gas vehicles. Phase I is a process driven by stakeholder input and participation that will determine the principles and visions that will inform future stages of the Plan. City representatives are currently hosting neighborhood meetings across the city to determine region-specific concerns. Last Wednesday, Tony Torres, a consultant for the city, addressed a group of stakeholders in Pacific Palisades to explain the current plan and to discover the environmental concerns of Palisadians. ‘Local input in Pacific Palisades is different than Boyle Heights,’ Torres said. ‘After having these meetings, we’ll figure out the best plan.’ However, that’s only the beginning. The final SWIRP document will be a 20-year master plan that outlines necessary Bureau of Sanitation program changes, infrastructure needs, legislative goals, a financial plan and the environmental impact report. To become a zero-waste city, Los Angeles will need to make radical changes in three main areas: product creation (manufacturing and packaging), product use and product disposal (resource recovery vs. landfilling). Torres also outlined the newest recycling programs for the city, which include improvements to curbside collection; recycling for apartments, multifamily dwellings, commercial businesses and offices; opening of new markets for recyclables; and recycling of food waste. After his presentation, the floor was opened up to questions and concerns of local residents. One woman asked why materials like Styrofoam, which is not biodegradable, are still being manufactured. ‘If there is a demand for that material,’ Torres said, ‘they will keep selling it.’ He added that Styrofoam (non-contaminated) can now be recycled in the blue bin, a fact that few people in the room seemed aware of, making it obvious that an increase in environmental education will be an integral part of helping L.A. achieve its zero-waste goal. Following Torres’ presentation, Marie Steckmest of Palisades Cares, who organized the meeting, led a discussion about what could be done in Pacific Palisades, not only to aid the city’s efforts, but to help the community become a leader in the ‘green’ campaign. One idea put forth at the meeting was to try and convert the Palisades into a ‘bag free town,’ which would mean that local markets and merchants would no longer provide plastic bags for purchases. Someone else suggested that automatic sprinkler systems be adjusted, to reduce both frequency of watering and the amount of water wasted, as some sprinklers spray large portions of sidewalks and streets. People were also encouraged to avoid hosing off sidewalks and driveways in this ongoing drought. Other ideas put forth were simple, like walking and biking to work and not discarding cigarette butts.
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